FOUR-PEAT! Malden High Coed Swim captures 4th straight GBL Championship

Tornados Rice and Tran lead the way in 79-61, title-clinching victory over Revere on the road

By Steve Freker

If there was a sense of déjà vu at the Garfield School in Revere on January 28 for the Malden High School Coed Swim Team, it was for good reason. Just about one year ago to the very day, Malden once again was in the same position it found itself in in 2025. A victory on this day, on the road at Revere High’s home pool, for Malden would clinch the 2025 Greater Boston League Championship.

Using contributions from up and down its roster, Malden did not disappoint. Jumping out to big leads early, Head Coach Jessica Bisson and assistant coach Julie Grillon’s Tornados rolled to a 79-61 win over host Revere and clinched their 4th consecutive GBL Championship. The win was Malden’s 7th straight this season, after a season-opening upset loss at Medford. With the win over Revere, Malden soared to 7-1, topping Medford 5-1-1, including a “revenge” win over the Mustangs.

Malden took the lead early and never let up.

Here are most of the Malden results:

• 200 Medley Relay: 1^st – Katie Rice, Kevin Lin, Yinjie Wang, Ivan Zhu, 2:18.39; 3^rd – Yingyan Xia, Brian Pan, Danielle Harrington, Dante Federico, 2:127.5.
• 200 Freestyle: 1^st – Alden Deronja, 2:10.91; 2^nd – Weiqi Du, 2:35.09; 3^rd – Gordon Zeng, 2:37.60.

200 Freestyle Relay: 1^st – Ian Ian Ho, Sophia Huynh, Dante Federico, Katie Rice, 2:04.59; 2^nd – Hailey Tran, Sarahy Escobar Ayala, Kevin Lin, Weiqi Du, 2:10.57; 3^rd – Yingyan Xia, Danielle Harrington, Gordon Zeng, Ivan Zhu, 2:10.75.

• 200 Individual Medley: 1^st – Katie Rice, 2:41.90; 2^nd – Danielle Harrington, 2:50.91; 3^rd – Brian Pan, 3:03.51.
• 50 Freestyle: 1^st – Hailey Tran, 26.91.
• 100 Butterfly: 1^st – Katie Rice, 1:17.72; 2^nd – Ian Ian Ho, 1:25.91; 4^th – Gordon Zeng, 1:38.67.
• 100 Freestyle: 1^st – Weiqi Du, 1:11.21; 3^rd – Sophia Huynh, 1:18.21; 4^th – Sarahy Escobar Ayala, 1:24.32.
• 100 Backstroke: 1^st – Ian Ian Ho, 1:20.03; 2^nd – Yingyan Xia, 1:21.60; 3^rd – Tara Villatore, 1:42:14.
• 500 Freestyle: 1^st – Alden Deronja, 5:32.81; 2^nd – Yinjie Wang, 7:05.46; 3^rd – Ivan Zhu, 7:10.78.
• 400 Freestyle Relay: 1^st – Ian Ian Ho, Weiqi Du, Gordon Zeng, Hailey Tran, 4:32.84; 2^nd – Yinjie Wang, Danielle Harrington, Ivan Zhu, Alden Deronja, 4:33.76; 4^th – Vicky Chen, Esther Mei Noche, Sofia Evoras, Tara Villatore, 6:16.10.

Following are most of the Revere High Patriots’ results from the Garfield School:

• 200 Medley Relay: 2^nd – Nicola Avila, Jon Begolli, Wilson Feng, Jean Builes-Uribe, 2:26.87; 5^th – Leah Zuniga, Adine Louin, Ron Begolli, Aiden Lopez, 3:25.93; 6^th – Walid Chalg, Mouss Housny, Yassine Haari, Nasser Lafonai, 3:34.16.
• 200 Freestyle: 4^th – Aiden Lopez, 3:44.37.
• 200 Individual Medley: 4^th – Nicolas Avila, 4:03.05.
• 50 Freestyle: 2^nd – Wilson Feng, 27.22 seconds; 4^th – Jon Begolli, 29:02 seconds.
• 200 Butterfly: 3^rd – Wilson Feng, 1:34.89.
• 100 Freestyle: 2^nd – Jean Builes, 1:15.15; 5^th – Adine Louin, 1:30.14; 6^th – Ron Begolli, 1:38.07.
• 500 Freestyle: 4^th – Leah Zuniga, 8:22.70.
• 200 Freestyle Relay: 4^th – Adine Luin, Ron Begolli, Nicolas Avila, Jon Begolli, 2:23.25; 5^th – Aiden Lopez, Walid Chalg, Yassine Haari, Nasser Lafonai, 2:51.03.
• 100 Breaststroke: 3^rd – Jon Begolli, 1:39.65; 5th – Ron Begolli, 2:19.75.

CAPTIONS

GBL CHAMPS… AGAIN! Excited to be Greater Boston League (GBL) Champions for the 4th straight season are– pictured from left to right – in front: seniors Kevin Lin, Captain Gordon Zeng, sophomore Weiqi Du, senior Ivan Zhu; back: Katie Rice and Ian Ian Ho. (Courtesy/ Malden Athletics)

Malden steers Senior Night to an 89-76 win over visiting Lynn Classical

By Steve Freker

Maybe it was the “wakeup call” they needed. All we know is that after the Malden High Coed Swim Team lost their season opener to Medford, they have had all eyes wide open. Using another solid, team-wide effort, the Tornado Pool Crew won its sixth straight meet, 89-61, at the Malden High Barry Fitzpatrick Pool on January 23, topping Lynn Classical on Senior Night.

Coupled with a later dead-even tie with Revere and Malden’s own regular season-concluding victory over Revere recently, the Tornados (7-1) won their 7^th-straight meet and clinched their 4^th Greater Boston League (GBL) Championship in a row. (See separate story.)

Once again, senior Hailey Tran led the way for Malden, winning two individual events (200 freestyle, 100 freestyle) and swimming a fast leg on the meet-opening Malden win in the 200 Medley Relay. Tran, who will compete next weekend in the MIAA Division 1 North Sectional Meet with two of her teammates, swam a leg of the winning 200 Medley Relay along with Ian Ian Ho, Sophie Tran and senior co-captain Gordon Zeng with a time of 2:06.78.

The Malden quartet of Yinjie Wang, Kevin Lin, James Zhou and Ivan Zhu was third at 2:27.00.

Following are the rest of the Malden results

• 200 Freestyle: 1^st – Hailey Tran, 2:12.75; 3^rd – Brian Pan, 2:36.16; 4^th – Danielle Harrington, 2:53.12.
• 200 Individual Medley: 1^st – Sophie Tran, 2:32.88; 3^rd – James Zhou, 2:55.77; 4^th – Yingyan Xia, 3:02.65.
• 50 Freestyle: 1^st – Ian Ian Ho, 28.34 seconds; 3^rd – Gordon Zeng, 29.69 seconds; 4^th – Weiqi Du, 38.25 seconds.
• 100 Butterfly: 1^st – Alden Deronja, 1:56.03; 3^rd – Yinjie Wang.
• 100 Freestyle: 1^st – Hailey Tran, 1:01.69; 3^rd – Ivan Zhu 1:07.69; 4^th – Weiqi Du, 1:09.67.
• 500 Freestyle: 2^nd – Yingyan Xia, 7:15.53; 3^rd – Danielle Harrington, 7:17.86; 6^th – Brian Pan, 7:26.88.
• 200 Freestyle Relay: 2^nd – Alden Deronja, Weiqi Du, Ivan Zhu, Gordon Zeng, 1:51.53; 3^rd – James Zhou, Kevin Lin, Dante Federico, Brian Pan, 2:07.97.